A career for ex-forces: leveraging military skills in adaptability and problem-solving
Last month, we shared how the planning and execution skills of ex-military personnel can readily transition across to project controls. In this blog, we take a look at another crucial element of project controls: the importance of adaptability and problem-solving and how this reads across to ex-forces personnel.
Adaptability and problem solving are essential to project controls
If you’re reading this, you are probably current or ex-forces yourself and you know better than most that projects, missions, exercises or deployments are more often than not, continuously changing. Adaptability and problem-solving aren’t just valuable—they’re essential. Projects rarely proceed exactly as planned, and the ability to navigate changes, manage risks, and tackle unexpected challenges can be the difference between success and failure. Your military training and experiences has uniquely equipped you for this, giving you the skills to handle rapidly changing situations and find creative solutions.
In the military, adaptability isn’t optional—it’s essential. Working in the military is complex, with multiple stakeholders, multiple resources to control some of which are outside of your control and a key Stakeholder called the enemy who is actively trying to stop you succeeding. You’ve learned to stay calm and effective under pressure, a crucial asset in project controls when unforeseen issues often pop up. You’ve learnt to plan for the worst but happily accept the best. Your rigorous problem-solving training ensures you can approach challenges methodically, anticipate risks, and keep projects running smoothly no matter what.
As a result, there are a number of reasons that your unique experience and training could well make you a good fit for project controls, and why the industry is so well suited as a career for ex-forces.
1. Military training makes you great at adapting to change
The military environment is one of constant change, where you must swiftly adapt to new information, environments, and challenges. This is not by chance but by design. From basic training onwards the training is aimed at enhancing your ability to think on your feet and devise innovative solutions to complex problems. And it's not just training. On Ops or exercises you are doing it for real as well. This skill set is directly transferable to project controls, where adaptability and creative problem-solving are indispensable.
2. In the field, decisions often need to be made quickly
Project controls involve the management of many variables, including timelines, budgets, resources, and stakeholder expectations. Military personnel are trained to assess situations quickly, identify the most effective course of action, and implement changes fast but accurately. This ability ensures that projects can pivot as required without significant delays or cost overruns, maintaining momentum even when faced with unforeseen challenges.
3. Creative problem-solving
Military training and experience helps sharpen the ability to solve problems creatively. Faced with limited resources or stringent constraints, you learn to think outside the box, developing solutions that are effective and efficient, or just effective sometimes ( a win is a win after all). The ability to address challenges with innovative solutions is invaluable. Whether it’s finding a way to accelerate project timelines, reduce costs without compromising quality, or manage risks in a novel way, the problem-solving skills developed in the military are a significant asset.
4. Maximising project success with military expertise
A move from a military career to the civilian workforce offers ex-military a range of opportunities to apply their extensive skill set. That capability to plan and execute, despite everything trying to make it go wrong, that military experience brings, can significantly enhance a projects chances for success.
Ley’s talk careers for ex-forces
As we continue to explore the connection between military expertise and business success, make sure to stay tuned for the upcoming articles in this series. Also, if you missed it make sure to read our previous article that delved into how veterans' planning and execution skills seamlessly transition to project controls.
If this discussion has piqued your interest and you’re eager to learn more about a career for ex-forces in project controls, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
Bob Sunderland
Director
Bob joined the military soon after realising studying for a computer science degree wasn’t for him. He headed to the careers office at his university (then a Polytechnic!), saw a poster from the RAF and immediately applied. His first role was working in a bunker in North East Scotland patiently waiting for the Russians to come over. Luckily they didn't. Later he applied to be aircrew on RAF helicopters, responsible for almost everything behind the pilot and sometimes an odd pilot or two. He left the military in May 2015 as a Master Aircrew with only a general idea of what his second career would be. He worked for a leading aviation company, eventually working in project management/project controls including risk management and later moved to a consultancy as a Project Control Manager specialising in risk. Bob is now Director of Business and Strategy Development at Blueprint Project Solutions Ltd.